1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system and an image forming device.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, a plurality of image forming devices are connected to one another via a network so as to be properly used depending on installation sites, functions, and properties such as output speed of the image forming devices. In some cases, a login operation is required before use of an image forming device to permit only a registered user to use the image forming device.
For example, an accounting management apparatus has been proposed for appropriate accounting control in the case of concurrent login of one user to a plurality of image forming devices (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-176631).
In addition, a print job authentication apparatus has been proposed, which transfers a print job to a proxy printer if an original printer receiving the print job is unavailable due to failure or other reasons and outputs the print job, and informs a user of such a state (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-327123).
In addition, an image-forming-device network system has been proposed, which can select data encryption in the transfer of image information of a document read by any one of a plurality of image forming devices to another one (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-079681).
In addition, an image processing system has been proposed, which searches for an available image forming device if an original image forming device is unavailable due to failure or its insufficient capacity, and allows the found image forming device to operate as a proxy (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-135508).
If a user logs into an image forming device and then to another image forming device without logout of the former image forming device and leaves the image forming device, another user can use the former image forming device. This disadvantageously eliminates the effect of exclusive permission to registered users, leading to a security problem. In addition, unnecessary login of an off-site user to an image forming device inconveniently disables login of another user to the image forming device, thus inhibiting proper use of the image forming device.
Even if a user logs into a certain image forming device and starts setting to execute a job, the image forming device sometimes does not have desired functions such as a double-sided printing function and a stapling function. In such a case, the user must move to another image-forming device having these functions and requires troublesome reset.